Page 8 | To want a house with walks 'from the door'?

VanityWitch · 2020-12-07T18:59:22+00:00

Not through busy roads? DH thinks this is a wild expectation. I think it's common in lots of areas. We are considering moving further out from London. We are in the Home Counties having moved out once already. I want proper countryside. He thinks this is some crazy and impossible dream [fhmm], city boy [fgrin]! Budget is £400k-ish to be comfortable. Up to £500k if we were feeling a bit more daring. Anywhere in the south half of England really. AIBU?

skwish · 08/12/2020 18:18

We’re in a village just outside Canterbury, btw 😊

AwkwardAnnie · 08/12/2020 18:22

Just move North. 😁
I'm east of Manchester. When we moved here, all our friends said we needed to live in South Manchester, we didn't know Manchester at all and our budget meant we could only afford run down areas. We both grew up in the countryside and hated the thought of living among huge urban areas.
Eventually we went against our friends advice moved somewhere east of Manchester, it's 11 minutes on the train to Manchester and less than a 5 minutes drive to the station from our house, or a 20 minute walk. We're on a ex-council estate but if I cross the road I'm in woods then into fields and the moors (part of Saddleworth) within about 10 minutes. Cost us less than £90k 15 years ago, maybe about £110k at the moment.
Okay sometimes there are issues on the estate, but I have a stunning view of the moors and would have to pay a heck of a lot more for that view so it more than makes up for the odd problem every few years.

Storywriter · 08/12/2020 18:30

We've lived in the city, in a town and very rurally at the end of a farm track, and found it hard to achieve the ideal balance anywhere. 'Walks from the door' usually means being in a village or smaller with no shop or pub / cafe, although it depends on what sort of walk. Ironically, when we were at the end of a farm track there were very few walks directly from the door as much of what surrounded us was private land, so if we wanted a proper walk we had to drive. (If you ever choose this option, make sure you know who owns the fields around you and try to buy the strip of land nearest your house if you can - I know this from bitter experience, trust me.) There are lovely city / town walks in many places which are very green but not proper countryside. It depends on how much you're prepared to compromise, I guess. I'd say with the budget you have you will probably have to make choices. Do you also want to be able to walk to a shop / primary school / yoga class? Do you want to be a car dependent two car family? Do you want to get snowed in - can you work from home if you are? How will you cope if there's a powercut in your idyllic hamlet and there's no light, heat or water? What would you do if you broke a limb or got ill and had to attend hospital regualry for treatment? How would you cope if an illness or accident left you unable to drive? You might love it, but consider these things. We're now in a city with many green spaces and it's easy to get out to the countryside from - also, I often walk to work. This balance is working well for us now.

BootCampSucker · 08/12/2020 18:32

We live 3.5 miles from the centre of Bristol and all these were taken within a 5 or 10 minute walk from our house. You can have it all!

To want a house with walks 'from the door'?

CockysGirl · 08/12/2020 18:47

We have that and I truly love being able to walk to woods and countryside from my front door as well as being walking distance to a small high street but also commutable to the city within 30 minutes. However, our semi-detached is more like £600k so think you'll be lucky to find what you want in the Home Counties on your budget.

mynameisbiggles · 08/12/2020 19:03

£500K, you wont get much in rural Sussex or Hampshire for that OP - might get a small cottage, probably near a road - villages will be more expensive. Good luck though. I've just sold a 17th Century period cottage in West Sussex near a busy road (at times) but backing onto fields and a mile from the nearest village. Big garden and parking for three cars - sold for £590K so it can be done but you'll have to make concessions - crap broadband speed, virtually no mobile signal, no mains drainage, no pavements, no street lights, constant power cuts.

Rincewind1213 · 08/12/2020 19:09

We’re selling our 2 bed cottage if you’re interested. 😂 49 mins train ride out of London. Lots of country walks. Let me know if you want a look.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/75568197#/

Bodynegative · 08/12/2020 20:26

Where I live I'm semi rural, surrounded by fields on one side and a golf course leading onto woods on the other. 5 minutes drive from extensive riverside walks 40 minutes to the sea and 15 minutes to the city centre. On your budget you'd be able to buy a lovely detached country house up here in the frozen North.

dorsetemma · 08/12/2020 20:26

@MaverickDanger

South West.

We have about 4-5 different options direct from our front door including a canal walk, river walk, wood walk & one through a public footpath that starts 50m from my front door up to a stately home with beautiful gardens.

We often get deer grazing in our front garden, but are also a 10 min drive/40 min walk from the town centre & have shops & pubs close by.

We’ve got a large 4 bed detached house for £425k.

I love where we live.

Can I ask where you live? Sounds lovely...

Bakingcupcake · 08/12/2020 20:27

This wont be a popular opinion...but who in their right mind wants to live near London...my idea of hell....we live in scotland, beautiful scenery, walks everywhere, people are friendlier ...the kist goes on...i dont get the big thing about London being this amazing place, ive been a few times, its dirty, busy and you feel like your going to get robbed or pick pocketed...not really an experience i want!

HitthatroadJack · 08/12/2020 20:35

you feel like your going to get robbed or pick pocketed...
😂

that part is just you!

I love London, we moved because of the children as we couldn't afford a decent house but it's a fantastic environment to raise children. Cosmopolite, free, never a dull day, you can take them to parks just as much as museums and so many interesting places. It's good for them to mix with different cultures, nationalities and interests. There are some beautiful views over the capital from the right locations.

We are close enough it's a short commute to take them to central London, but (with our limited budget) we have a house with the countryside on our doorstep and close to the coast. I would find it dreadfully boring if we were any further from London.

wooo69 · 08/12/2020 20:38

I step out of my door onto The Dales Way, 4 bed houses £350/400k Mark.
We are in the northern half of the country but then I could never live in the South

Leflic · 08/12/2020 20:47

Not read the thread but I live somewhere with tonnes of nice walks from the door. Based in the SE

However every weekend these “walks” are heaving ( pre Covid) as everyone walks the same footpaths/ routes. Anyone outside of a say a 10 minute walk to get there drives. This means any free bit of country lane has cars parked down it. And even if it’s not a weekend it’s rammed with dog walkers.

Much better to be near proper open space that doesn’t require “ a route”. Army ranges, down land, common ground. You can properly walk and avoid the masses.

CharitySchmarity · 08/12/2020 20:53

I think I have the best of both worlds - I live near the edge of a town, and I can walk into town in about 35 minutes or get there by bus in 15, but if I walk in the other direction, I can be in fields within 10 minutes and in a very pretty village within about half an hour. Just beyond that, there are some woods with the most amazing bluebells in the spring and chestnuts (proper edible ones, not conkers) to pick up from the ground in autumn. We do drive further afield for different walks sometimes, but it's always possible to have a quick walk from home if we want one. It's not one of the main things that sold us the house but I think it is something I'd look for again.

Having said that, I don't live anywhere near London and don't have much of a commute (I can walk to work in under an hour or bus it in about half an hour) - if moving to a location like this was going to mean a lot of travelling every day, I'm not sure if I would love it as much.

ImAllOut · 08/12/2020 20:55

[quote Rincewind1213]We’re selling our 2 bed cottage if you’re interested. 😂 49 mins train ride out of London. Lots of country walks. Let me know if you want a look.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/75568197#/[/quote]
Your house is lovely but fucking hell, I will never fail to be horrified by the prices charged for houses near London.

Onedropbeat · 08/12/2020 21:02

@Bakingcupcake

This wont be a popular opinion...but who in their right mind wants to live near London...my idea of hell....we live in scotland, beautiful scenery, walks everywhere, people are friendlier ...the kist goes on...i dont get the big thing about London being this amazing place, ive been a few times, its dirty, busy and you feel like your going to get robbed or pick pocketed...not really an experience i want!

I agree with you and say that as someone who lives on the outskirts of London

Original poster

VanityWitch · 08/12/2020 21:07

I love Scotland. Lived there for years. Given the choice, I'd live there still! But London pays the bills. Arguably, our bills are only so high because we live near London though!

OP posts:

caringcarer · 08/12/2020 23:54

I live in large village outside very large town and if I walk 200 metres I can walk around a lovely large lake with geese and ducks on. I can also walk along footpath which was old rail line into town. I don't think it is too much to ask for. I hope you get it op.

Mamanyt · 09/12/2020 01:09

You are being entirely reasonable, and from the former posts, realistic, as well. Not conversant on housing over there (live in USA), but...why move farther from London if you don't get the perks that go with moving farther out of a big city?

popsydoodle4444 · 09/12/2020 01:32

@KleinBlue

Where abouts in east Leicestershire if you don't mind me asking?

Bakingcupcake · 09/12/2020 06:37

@HitthatroadJack

you feel like your going to get robbed or pick pocketed... 😂

that part is just you!

I love London, we moved because of the children as we couldn't afford a decent house but it's a fantastic environment to raise children. Cosmopolite, free, never a dull day, you can take them to parks just as much as museums and so many interesting places. It's good for them to mix with different cultures, nationalities and interests. There are some beautiful views over the capital from the right locations.

We are close enough it's a short commute to take them to central London, but (with our limited budget) we have a house with the countryside on our doorstep and close to the coast. I would find it dreadfully boring if we were any further from London.

Well your sad if you think anywhere apart from London is dreadfully boring...get a life there are plenty of nicer places in the world and things to see and do!

movingonup20 · 09/12/2020 07:34

Perfectly doable, we have countryside and the beach/cliffs nearby, no car required for under £400k. Nearly 2 hours into central London though

movingonup20 · 09/12/2020 07:36

@LobsterRavioli

There is a happy medium, I have it town of 25k, countryside and beach, 30 mins on bus into city centre when desired.

CeeceeBloomingdale · 09/12/2020 07:36

I have that and a home at less than half your budget. It's not so grim up north 😉

NeverTwerkNaked · 09/12/2020 07:41

Yanbu. This has always been a priority for me.
Just make sure you pick wisel. There is a lot of house building planned near us. I know people who thought they bought rural homes who are now going to live surrounded by new build estates.